The year 2020 led to a number of changes at Project Access Northwest, but one thing remained unchanged — we continued to serve our patients. A global pandemic certainly changed up processes at Project Access Northwest. All 15 of our staff moved home to work remotely. Phones were adapted, laptops were purchased, and our IT contractor worked tirelessly to ensure everyone had remote access. Servers were upgraded and our entire IT infrastructure was reinforced to accommodate this new reality. The result was impressive. Our team didn’t miss a beat with our patients. Since our model has always been fully telephonic, work continued with patients receiving the services they have come to expect from us.
While a number of providers closed their doors for extended periods, in 2020 we still made more than 2900 specialty care appointments in 38 specialties. We helped patients navigate in-person visits, and we also began supporting telehealth visits when possible. We checked in with our patients, educated them about best practices during COVID-19, provided them with resources and worked to combat the social isolation so many were feeling. When provider offices opened back up, we scheduled appointments, helped navigate transportation and helped direct patients to COVID-19 tests, when needed.
As a snapshot of our year, here are some interesting statistics:
- We provided appointments in 38 specialties from audiology to vascular surgery
- We provided telephonic interpreters in 29 languages, including new ones such as: Fula, a language from West and Central Africa; Igbo, a Nigerian language; Mandinka, spoken in Guinea and The Gambia; and Wolof, spoken in Senegal, The Gambia and Mauritania
- More than 80% of our patients were between 31 and 64 years of age
- 97% of our patients were uninsured
- 71% of patients lived below the Federal Poverty Level
- 58% of patients identified as female
- Despite a global pandemic, the no-show rate for appointments was less than 6%
As we look to 2021, we are excited to grow our new gender-affirming care and HIV-PReP clinic, we are looking to add some behavioral health services, and we strive to grow our volunteer provider list to 1800. We also desperately hope to see a reduction in deaths and hospitalizations from COVID and increased access to vaccinations.
If you have questions about our work, please reach out! We love to hear from our friends and investors. Executive Director Gary Renville is always happy to connect. garyr@projectaccessnw.org